New commissioning quality standard for drug and alcohol services published

The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) has published a national adult drug and alcohol treatment commissioning quality standard and self assessment tool.

This was recommended in the second part of Dame Carol Black’s review of drugs and endorsed by the recent strategy.

The standard provides guidance for local authorities to support them in commissioning effective alcohol and drug treatment and recovery services in their areas. It helps local partnerships to:

• clarify the commissioning process they should follow
• plan and deliver harm reduction, treatment and recovery interventions
• understand local need for alcohol and drug services
• assess whether anyone affected by problem alcohol and drug use is able to access the right support at the right time
• provide high-quality support from a multi-disciplinary skilled workforce for children, young people and adults affected by problem alcohol and drug use